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Heavy Turnout as Syrians Flock to Election Centers to Choose President

Presidential elections kicked off early on Tuesday as Syrians flock to voting centers across the country.

It is Syria’s first multi-candidate election, based on the new Constitution of Syria which was endorsed in 2012.

The interior ministry said that the number of the election centers in all Syrian provinces is 9601, and they include 11776 ballot boxes.

Three candidates are: Maher Abdel-Hafiz Hajjar, Hassan Abdullah al-Nouri and Bashar al-Assad are competing in the presidential elections after the Supreme Judicial Court accepted their applications to run for the post of president on May 10.

Al-Manarcorrespondent across Syria reported high participation in the crucial elections which will decide who will be Syria’s president for the next seven years.

Our correspondent in Damascus said that citizens came early to cast ballots amid tightened security measures.

President and candidate Bashar al-Assad as well as his wife Asmaa also participated in the elections, casting their ballots in one of the polling stations in Damascus.

In Aleppo, the correspondent reported that there were checkpoints near the elections centers in order to guarantee the safety of the citizens who want to vote. The correspondent also noted that voting centers are in safe areas.

Meanwhile in Qalamoun and Lattakia Syrians flock to election centers, our correspondent said, noting that the participation was high in these provinces.